House Cleaning Service just requested a payment increase - is this normal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington - 2400 sf house. cleaned every 2 weeks - 1 person - $120.

I have given her increases on a fairly regular basis (once/year) - like $5. After all, she is trying to make a living and the cost of living is skyrocketing.

BUT - I feel a little maxed out at this point. It's definitely been more than a year since the last increase.

I have seen someone advertising through our neighborhood list serv and she would be less expensive. But our lady has been cleaning for us for 7 years and I would feel really badly letting her go. I have been waffling about this for weeks!

I feel like there is some sort of freakonomics or economies of scale going on that I need someone to explain to me. She is telling me I need to pay more because of the economy and I am telling her I can't because of the economy. I would hate to have to cancel services because then we both lose. I emailed her about going every three weeks at $135 and she said she would get back to me. Still that would be a $1000 dollar loss for her per year.

[Anonymous]

14:57 here

For me, an additional $10/month is not much at all. For her, I realize it may really make a difference.

But - like I said - I'm starting to feel maxed out (on principle) at $120 every 2 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:57 here

For me, an additional $10/month is not much at all. For her, I realize it may really make a difference.

But - like I said - I'm starting to feel maxed out (on principle) at $120 every 2 weeks.

So if she were to ask for $135 what would you tell her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think it's too much, get estimates from new companies. Then you can decide if it's worth it to start over with a new company or pay the increase and keep the current company.

But you've been using the same service for 3 years...in those 3 years do you think that the owner has provided an increase in wages for his housecleaners? Raises do end up flowing downward to the consumer.

We've been using our housekeeping service for 2.5 years... her quoted rate was $85, for every other week service. We paid her $90 to start, were extremely happy, and bumped it to $100 at the end of one year. The next year, we upped it another $10 -- so we pay her $110 every other week. At Christmas, I give her a "gift" equal to one cleaning cost.

If you have been paying her the same amount for 3 years, I definitely think she's owed and increase. everything else costs more, why not housekeeping? Also, do you really want to start over with having someone else come into your home? You already know and trust her.

PP can you provide contact info? Your service sounds great! We've had such a hard time finding someone we like. Right now, we use a service that is only passable. They're trustworthy and have a key and that's why we keep using them, but we need a good cleaner! TIA.

[Anonymous]

I pay $92 to a cleaning service to clean 1,300 square feet. 2.5 baths and 3 bedrooms. I've been paying that for almost 4 years now and I'm surprised I haven't gotten notified of an increase.

I'm paying about 7 cents per square foot. OP, you are currently aying about 6 cents per square foot. The increase to $135 would put you up to about 6.4 cents per square foot. I don't think you are being gouged if this is a cleaning service (i.e., not individual but rather a company). These prices sound pretty typical to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:57 here

For me, an additional $10/month is not much at all. For her, I realize it may really make a difference.

But - like I said - I'm starting to feel maxed out (on principle) at $120 every 2 weeks.

So if she were to ask for $135 what would you tell her?

I would tell her that I can't afford it. And that I've been considering making a change to someone local (i.e., in my neighborhood). She commutes to me in Arlington from Silver Spring. This is all true - except maybe the "can't afford it" part. I mean, technically, I could. It's not like I wouldn't be able to buy groceries. But in all honesty, I'd really like to switch to weekly cleaning and I definitely would need to try to find someone who charged a little less if I did that.

It would be hard, though. She's been very trustworthy, does a good job, and has cleaned for us for 7 years. But I would love to find someone with a little more flexibility to come more often - maybe an hourly rate as opposed to a total amount for a total job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pay $92 to a cleaning service to clean 1,300 square feet. 2.5 baths and 3 bedrooms. I've been paying that for almost 4 years now and I'm surprised I haven't gotten notified of an increase.

I'm paying about 7 cents per square foot. OP, you are currently aying about 6 cents per square foot. The increase to $135 would put you up to about 6.4 cents per square foot. I don't think you are being gouged if this is a cleaning service (i.e., not individual but rather a company). These prices sound pretty typical to me.

thanks its helpful to know what others are paying. Its so hard to find data on what's normal.

[Anonymous]

It also depends on what type of "service" you use. We live in a city rownhouse (so 1600 or so square feet) and pay $85 every two weeks. But that's much less than what I'd pay someplace like Merry Maids or other services.

It's one woman who comes with 3-4 other women, who work for her. I make the check out to the head woman. We've used her about 6 years, and good grief am just realizing I've given her one raise in that time - i just started paying her $5 more with no discussion. Maybe two years ago. I think I need to add another $5 - maybe in December. (I also give her a "bonus" of one session, but she also takes off right around Christmas, so in essence I pay her for one time she doesn't come).

[Anonymous]

I don't think the price per square foot is really that relevant. The time sucks are the bathrooms, and then the kitchen. I'm here sometimes when my cleaning lady comes and she spends more than half her time on the one bathroom and the kitchen, but square footage wise, that's probably only 20% of the house. I think you should get some other quotes before making a decision. Ask around your neighborhood. Post on the neighborhood list serve if you have one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the price per square foot is really that relevant. The time sucks are the bathrooms, and then the kitchen. I'm here sometimes when my cleaning lady comes and she spends more than half her time on the one bathroom and the kitchen, but square footage wise, that's probably only 20% of the house. I think you should get some other quotes before making a decision. Ask around your neighborhood. Post on the neighborhood list serve if you have one.

For cleaning services, this is all figured in to square footage calculations. A particular-sized house will generally have the same/similar number of bathrooms and similarly-sized kitchen.

[Anonymous]

This is an interesting discussion which I think is indicative of the economy as a whole. Prices everywhere are increasing. Employees want more money. Employers don't want to pay more money for the same job.

Turn this scenario around... Make it about teachers wanting an increase instead of a housekeeper. People tend not to argue with that. Or OP, how would you feel if you lost your job because your employer found someone else who would do it for less.

It's just interesting that when you are the person having to pay, people feel increases are not right. But when you're not on the receiving end of a raise, people get upset. Two sides of the same coin.

[Anonymous]

We live in a four bedroom house with three levels and pay $150. You are already paying too much.

I would get estimates and either hire the new people or tell them you value their services but aren't willing to pay the increase after checking with other services as to rates.

[Anonymous]

I do think it is weird for them to ask for an increase in this economy. People are dropping their cleaning services altogether to save money.

[Anonymous]

Huh

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting discussion which I think is indicative of the economy as a whole. Prices everywhere are increasing. Employees want more money. Employers don't want to pay more money for the same job.

Turn this scenario around... Make it about teachers wanting an increase instead of a housekeeper. People tend not to argue with that. Or OP, how would you feel if you lost your job because your employer found someone else who would do it for less.

It's just interesting that when you are the person having to pay, people feel increases are not right. But when you're not on the receiving end of a raise, people get upset. Two sides of the same coin.

Not the same scenario. Cleaning lady is a contract employee; teacher is a full time employee of a school district. The cleaning lady more than likely has many customers and business comes and goes. I would not expect part time cleaning services to be long term or to have the same perks.

[Anonymous]

How many man hours does it take when thy clean? 3 women for two hours? What kind of job do they do? Is it the same women, and is it worth it to you that you know and trust them?